[Jesus said to the crowds:] “I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” John 6:37
We hope in Jesus and invite all people to walk with us in his way of mercy, love, nonviolence, justice, kindness, and healing. We walk with Jesus and have the courage to face adversity and hardship. We trust Jesus to guide us and we live in peace.
Today I will go to Jesus and know he will welcome me. I will trust him to sustain me in everything.
[Jesus addressed the crowds:] “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27
I’ve carried a number of crosses in my life. The cross of grief and loss. The cross of pain. The cross of betrayal. The cross of assault. The cross of unjust treatment.
I am learning that the suffering I experience is an invitation to deeper intimacy with Jesus who knows from his own experience what human suffering is all about. I am learning to draw on the resources God has given me to help with the mission of Christ: love, goodness, peace, compassion, forgiveness, and mindful attention to the needs of others. I am learning to keep my heart and mind open to welcome the sustaining power of God’s counsel, wisdom, and kindness in each moment.
Today—no matter what cross I am bearing—I will trust the Lord’s intention is to lead me to deeper spiritual healing.
Jesus said, “All things are possible for God.” Mark 10:27
We can do all things through God, with God, and in God because God’s Word and Spirit live within us. We are God’s voice, ears, eyes, hands, and heart in the world. We have the power to intentionally choose words, actions, and behaviors that prove us to be effective bearers of God’s love, generosity, compassion, forgiveness, and healing.
Today I will pray for a spirit of wisdom and the grace to share my love and possessions with those in need.
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Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. Wisdom 6:12
The wisdom of God is in our hearts. Our hearts know how to love, how to forgive, how to welcome others, how to discern truth and justice.
Today I will replenish my supply of patience, mercy, kindness, and compassion by spending five minutes alone with the Lord. I will find wisdom by listening to the love in my heart.
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And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are righteous must be kind. Wisdom 12:19
Today I will grow God’s kingdom of love and kindness by intentionally welcoming everyone with a pleasant greeting and smile.
For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
Wisdom 11:24-25
When I judge others negatively, I am in effect criticizing God’s wisdom, God’s creation, God’s heart of compassion.
Today I will ask God to open my mind and heart to know and love the members of this vast human family with God’s own mind and heart.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” Mark 10:23
When I suddenly went from having $13 in my savings account to having a lot more, I noticed I no longer felt ashamed at the bank, but stood straighter, looked the tellers in the eye, and felt more self-confident and self-reliant. This change made me wonder: Had I made money my god?
The kingdom of God is a place of vulnerability, not self-reliance. It is a place where I put my trust in the goodness of God, where I surrender my life and will to God’s gentle, compassionate care, and where I draw courage and confidence from God’s all-wise strength. The kingdom of God is where I find God’s kindness and love in the people I meet, where I offer help to those in need when I am able, and where I am not ashamed to ask for help when I am in need.
One who watches for [Wisdom] at dawn will not be disappointed, for she will be found sitting at the gate. Wisdom 6:14
In our awareness, we will find the Wisdom of God’s love, compassion, forgiveness, and peace sitting at the gate of our heart.
Today I will open my heart to Wisdom, to seek and find the Truth of God’s loving presence in every breath.
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John Everett Millais (1829-1896)
The Parable of the Leaven, 1864
Wood engraving; proof on India paper
Metropolitan Museum of Art
You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity. Psalm 86:15
May I be slow to anger and gracious about listening to the grief and pain others are suffering.
May I be faithful to the teachings of the Lord to love my neighbor and do good to those who hurt me.
May mercy, kindness, and compassion be the yeast that leavens my interactions with each person I encounter.
Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947)
Sofia (Wisdom), 1932
God is in charge of the possible and the impossible. God’s Spirit guides me where I need to go, shows me what I need to do, gives me the strength to help out where I am needed, and blesses me with the humility to love my neighbor and forgive my enemies.
[The disciples] were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” Mark 10:26-27
Mary Ann McSweeny 